Dhaka: Bangladesh Supreme Court on Sunday fined two senior ministers Taka 50,000 each, finding them guilty of contempt for their derogatory remarks against the chief justice during the appeal hearing of a major 1971 war crimes convict, making their position in the Cabinet doubtful.
“We are convicting the ministers of serious contempt of court,” pronounced chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha as food minister Quamrul Islam and liberation war affairs minister Mozammel Huq appeared before the full bench of the apex court.
The chief justice said the top court took a lenient stance in punishing them as the two ministers previously sought unconditional apology but the top court decided not to pardon them as they held positions in the cabinet “under an oath to protect the Constitution”. “(Despite their oath) they made derogatory comments belittling the Chief Justice and the apex court, defying the constitution… which appeared ‘intentional’,” Sinha said.
According to the judgment Islam and Huq would have to deposit Taka 50,000 (USD 625) each, in next seven days to the bank accounts of two specialised private hospitals which offer philanthropic services to poor patients, failing which they have to spend seven days in prison. The ministers declined to make any comments on the judgment.
Earlier this month, the two ministers had publicly snubbed the chief justice for his comments criticising investigators during the appeal hearing of a major 1971 war crimes convict, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Qashem Ali.
Ahead of delivering the verdict upholding Ali’s death penalty on March 8, the full bench of the court ordered the two ministers personal appearance to clarify their “contemptuous comments”. (PTI)
